11 celebs who you don't want to hear sing karaoke

Did you know Clint Eastwood sang a cowboy music album? No? That's probably for the best.

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Friday, May 30, 2014

Not everyone can act, and not everyone can sing, but there are many who do both, regardless.

Just recently, former child actor Macaulay Culkin and his music parody band Pizza Underground were, sadly, ill-received at the Dot to Dot Festival in Nottingham, and booed offstage.

In light of this, we've compiled a list of numerous other celebrities who also took the brave step in following their dreams -- even if those dreams threatened to destroy their careers with infamously awful songs.

Shaquille O'Neal - We Genie

While heavily criticized for his lyrical talent, the former basketball player has earned two Top 40 singles, and his debut album, Shaq Diesel (1993), went platinum in just under six months. However, Shaq's cringe-worthy performance as a rapping genie in the box office bomb Kazaam earned him special recognition on our list of songs we wish we could unhear.

Leonard Nimoy - The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins

Fascinating -- Some may forget that Mr. Spock was a '60s sex icon, and that status is exactly what launched actor Leonard Nimoy's brief foray into music. A Spock fangirl daughter of a Dot Records producer convinced her father to sign Nimoy for a few albums and capitalize on his popularity with Star Trek. The existence of this song is, however, illogical.

Steven Seagal - Hoochie Coochie Man

It's not as crazy as it sounds when you think of a man so quick with his hands, as he is in martial arts, that he could apply those skills to playing guitar. However, his signature soft-spoken and breathy voice does not lend itself for soulful blues, which seem to trail off without distinction.

David Hasselhoff - Hooked on a Feeling

Words cannot describe how painful this music video is. To be fair, Hasselhoff is a great singer. His voice has long been well-received within German-speaking Europe, and it has landed him starring roles in musicals such as "Jekyll & Hyde" (Broadway) and "The Producers" (Las Vegas). No wonder he's been a judge on both America's Got Talent and Britain's Got Talent.

Carmen Electra - Go Go Dancer

Before Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian were buying record deals, Carmen Electra was one of the first glamour models to fail miserably at a music career. While dating music legend Prince, Electra was groomed to be his protege as he attempted to transform Electra into his sexy, dancing, rapping, all-star Princess.

While the concept was ahead of its time, the music was from another dimension. This Cinderella story was not a happy ending for anyone, most especially the audience subjected to hearing the album.

Bruce Willis - Respect Yourself

As you can expect, John McClane doesn't exactly have a soulful voice, and certainly not enough to improve upon The Staple Singers' hit single, "Respect Yourself." However, it's not as terrible as you think, and this 1987 cover actually peaked at #5 on Billboard Hot 100 Singles.

Eddie Murphy - Whatzupwitu (featuring Michael Jackson)

Murphy first impressed audiences with his singing voice in his 1983 comedy special, Delirious. Enough so, that notorious funk legend Rick James thought to produce Murphy's single, "Party All The Time," which Blender once placed as #7 of the "50 Worst Songs of All-Time." But that didn't stop this Nutty Professor's passion for singing.

In 1999, the "Whatzupwitu" music video was voted the third worst music video of all time by MTV viewers and banned from being replayed on the channel again. And we're pretty sure they had stopped playing music videos by then, anyway. Yikes.

Joe Pesci - Wise Guy

Before he was known for playing violent, profane gangster types, Pesci was once a lounge singer, with a passion for big band jazz. Six years after starring as the titular role in the hit comedy, My Cousin Vinny, Pesci released his second studio album, Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You, capitalizing on his hilarious role as the inept and ill-tempered lawyer.

Sadly, Pesci retired from acting in 1999 to further pursue this music venture, and we haven't heard anything since. We miss you, Vinny.

Clint Eastwood - Rowdy

Long before he was a famous film actor and director, Eastwood was a boogie-woogie pianist with a strong intention of a career in jazz music. As his acting career began to rise in the early 1960s with his role in the Western TV series Rawhide, Eastwood produced a character-appropriate music album, Cowboy Favorites. The vocals were, expectedly, not his strong suit.

However, his longtime passion with music was not wasted. On top of acting and directing, Eastwood went on to compose music scores for many films, including most of the films he has directed, such as Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby.

Jada Pinkett Smith (Wicked Wisdom) - Bleed All Over Me

Just like her husband and children, Pinkett Smith is no stranger to music, though her taste in music is stranger than what you'd expect. In 2002, Pinkett Smith formed the Nu Metal band Wicked Wisdom under her stage name, Jada Koren (Koren is her middle name). After a quick listen, you'll understand her need for subterfuge.

Ricky Gervais (Seona Dancing) - Bitter Heart

What's more shocking than the English comedian's turn at New Wave pop? He was signed onto London Records almost 20 years before his comedy career took off. Even more shocking than that? How dashing he looked!